Coaches look at talent at West Bromwich Albion camp

FOOTBALL: Three Bromwich West Albion Academy coaches are in Warwick this week to coach 47 children in the finer points of the game and hopefully spot a player with the potential for playing Premier League football in the UK.

The camp is what the name states - an ID camp - and already one player identified at a camp in New Zealand, Chris Wood, is playing Premier League in England.

Conor Keddy works for DBS Sports Tours, a group that organises international player ID camps for West Bromwich Albion.

He said the three coaches at the camp - Chris Foreman, Greg Burgess and Jake Locke - were looking for talent for elite and shadow academy squads with West Bromwich Albion and club Centre of Excellences in various age groups.

"We had a camp in Trinidad and Tobago two months ago and a 10-year-old has been invited to a trial with the West Bromwich Albion Academy in the next fortnight,” he said.

Last year, coaches from West Bromwich Albion Academy travelled to Australia for camps in Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide.

"After last year's trip, a player from Avondale in Melbourne was sponsored for a week at an international academy,” he said.

Keddy is keen for the camp to become an annual event in Warwick.

"We have 47 at the camp and have a capacity of 48, 16 per squad,” he said.

"Tim Gaske has been very good to deal with and the Warwick Wolves Academy is well organised.

"All of the facilities and equipment in Warwick are up to standard.”

As of yesterday, there was one spot available for the academy coaching, anyone interested can call Gaske from Wolves on 0434211441.

About the coaches

Chris Foreman: Chris has been with West Bromwich Albion since August 2016, having previously worked for the English National Football Association for four years. He has a first-class degree in sports coaching.

Greg Burgess: Greg has been with West Bromwich Albion since April 2017, previously working with clubs such as Aston Villa as a football development coach, Leicester City in the Girls Centre of Excellence and at Port Vale's Academy as lead coach of the under-13s.

Jake Locke: Jake has been at West Bromwich Albion since 2014 after working with other clubs such as Walsall FC and Queens Park Rangers Midlands Academy as a development coach.